9-24-12

This week has been good. It was the week of transfer meeting so I got a new companion. We had a few disapointments with some investigators. But other things are starting to come out of the works so it is cool. We are working are hardest here trying to find those ready for the Gospel.

      Monday Elder Harris and I went to the City so he could see the Arch up close and see some different things. While we were over there taking pictures and stuff I decided that we could go check out the Flea market across the river in Washington Park which is right off the metro link. I got to see a couple of the people we I knew there back when I served in ESt.L. It was kinda cool seeing those people there. It was pretty weird going back into my first area. It has been almost a year since I first got there now. Woah weird crazy! It is awesome though.

       Tuesday we had a couple different appointments with Less actives and part members and investigators. But a couple of them fell through though. OH well. We had a good Recent convert lesson with Olivia and having her Grandpa Riley there with us for it. Elder Harris wanted to go by a couple of differnt people in the ward to say bye to them so we did that for a bit.

       Wednesday was the big day of transfer meeting. It was way awesome being there so I could see many different friends I made with other missionaries. It is was awesome though. I got to say goodbye to a couple of different missionaries who were good friends that I have met in the beginning of my mission. It was sad for that. But oh well. I will see them in a year from now. that is not far away. My New comp is Elder Barta. He is from Boise Idaho. I know like 4 different people serving in Boise right now. Goes home in less then 3 months though. We are co-seniors which is cool. He is much better then the last two comps I have had because he has it together as a person and a missionary. We spent the day shopping for food and then him unpacking. We had a dinner appointment with a recent convert then that was basically the whole day because bussing takes forever.

           Thursday was a great day. We had a good appointment with Linda. She is very much ready for baptism for having a testimony of everything she needs one of. Then right after we had a good lesson with the Titus family. After that we had dinner then we had to bus up to the Hendersons so we could teach them. Which the appoitment was hard because one of the kids ran out of meds.... It was crazy...

           Friday we had weekly planning which we did it at the Library so we could be in a public place so that people could see us and maybe want to know about the church. And just keeps us out of the appartment which I do not like being in even when we have to be there. We had a big day of going around and seeing all of our potentials we have and such. Which we were able to go see a good amount of them and set up appointments later. Busing takes forever... OH well... It was much better system across the river but on this side where we are at it is not as good.

           Saturday we rode the Metro Link down to Shrewbury Station where a member from Fenton picked my comp and I up to take us to a wedding for Nicki the girl I baptized down in Fenton when I was serving there. My favorite convert by far. haha She is way awesome. She got married at the church to Tony who is already a member. They will be going to the temple next spring which I will be here for and will be able to go and see that:) that will be cool seeing my first live sealing on the mission! It was way awesome to see her again and see people down in Fenton that I came close too. That was a way awesome place. Right after the wedding we had to get to an appointment with Linda that we had. After that we had to bus up to the church to have our lesson with LT who is Kathys son but it fell through. So we did a quick lesson with the rest of the family. Then LT showed up and we ended up having him come with us to go play bball with our investigators and us at the church. That was fun. When we were leaving the church a firework show was going on. The city of Hazelwood postphoned their show because during the 4th of July there was a drought and it was dry so they did it this past saturday. Kinda funny.

         Sunday Linda did not come because her car problems, and then The member who was supposed to pick up the Hendersons did not show up... so no one came to church... shoot. oh well. At church I met some people who knows the Downs family in my home ward. That was kinda cool to make that concetion. Then after church we went to the hendersons and we finally had a lesosn with LT and picked him up as a new investigator. That was cool then we had dinner at the Gonzo's. Best food I have had on the mission. It is always good mexican food which I truely miss.

           Today We are going to play some basketball with a bunch of other missionaries. OH yes. It will be fun. We will then have a lesson with Linda tonight. oh yes. And dinner with the Rices. I hope you all have a good week this week!

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

9-17-12

What a week it has been! Every week is exciting on the mission! And I am being honest about that. Try coming on a mission and you will see that I am right. It has been very rewarding. And this week we got transfer calls so stayed tuned in for what is happening! You will find out what is happening to me later in the email. haha Well here is what the week has been like.
         Monday was kinda boring. We went around window shopping. Just looking at stuff in different stores and stuff. That night we had an appointment with recent converts. That was fun to do. I like teaching those lessons because it is not as much teaching as discussion. Which how every appointment should be no matter what.

         Tuesday we had district meeting for the first time in a couple of weeks because of interviews. We had an intersting appointment with Emonie that day. We had like three appointments fall through that day will all potential investigators. But we still had a couple of appointments stay which we were able to teach though. That makes my day when I can go from appointment to appointment. But it gave us some time to go find some new potentials. It is all sifting through.

         Wednesday was great because we gained a new investigator! Those are always my favorite days. Well except for when we set a baptismal date or have a baptism. Tommy is our new investigator. We committed him to Baptism but it will take probably a few months or more till that can happen. Lets just say we got to work on a few different things but he is willing to work. We had a lot of checking up on potentials that day also. A lot of busing around and walking to a bunch of different places. We found a RLDS church in our area, well now known as the Community of Christ. That was kinda funny to see because they are so rare. While we were walking a member in the ward who is not active saw us and picked us up and took us to one of our desinations. He just saw us walking and got us. Which was nice. He also gave us a referal to teach one of his friends who lives in his basement right now. It was a miracle!

           Thursday was awesome. We had an appointment with Linda. We toke a member with us who got along really well with her. Linda also had her friend there to who we got to teach also. Linda will be getting baptized in a couple of weeks and asked me to Baptize her that day. I feel very honored for her asking me to do that Baptism for her. That night we had an appointment with Kathy, Candace, and Melanie. It was a hard lesson because Noah the three year old was a little wild. OH well. We committed Melanie to come to church because she was the only one who did not get Baptized because she was not coming to church.

           Friday was good. We had weekly planning. Oh yeah. Then we had an appointment fall through with Alisha and Tommy. We even had members coming with us to those and they fell through. It kinda stinks when that happens because members will get mad at us. When they really should not. But we still had an appointment with Mike and picked him up as a new Gator. He is in a part member family. Way funny guy. He gave us a referal that night to go teach one of his friends also. He was almost Baptized last year but he did not. So we are working on that again. haha We had an appointment with Linda that day also that went well. We are very excited for her baptism!

          Saturday was the big day. Transfer calls!!! It was a good day because we had a couple of less active lessons and one lesson with an Investigator. We had a coule of other appointments fall through... We had a lesson with Emonie. We dropped her sister already as a gator and we talked with Emonie and we ended us just dropping her also. Just no progress has been made yet. It is hard for people to progress in City areas like this because it is the Ghetto and it is hard to choose the right when there is so much evil around. Sad day. We helped a family move from a house to another house right around the corner. That was fun moving stuff especially there piano that weighs like a thousand lbs. haha So transfers calls...... drum roll please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am staying here in Hazelwood 2. My new companion is Elder Barta. If I am correct this is his last transfer in the mission. So I get to kill off a missionary! We will be co-seniors which will be nice in a sense. So since I am staying here I have spent most of my mission in the Ghetto so far. Nice.

          Sunday was great. Melanie finally came to church! Then Kathy brought her other son to church to. We will start teaching him this week! Many great things are happening!!! Sunday at church I definaly heard about the BYU vs. Utah game. That is riddiclous. How do you miss a close field goal like that? oh my. oh well.

            Today we will be going downtown and stuff. Not sure what we will do yet. I am excited to get a new companion after this last hard transfer my two comps have been and all the crazy stuff. I am excited to start a new transfer off and continue the work here in Hazelwood!!! I hope you all have a great week!!!

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

        

9-10-12

This week was very interesting. Last Monday I got a new companion and it had a good start having a Baptism and such. Working hard has really pulled off. Going through more sifting in the area trying to find who the elect are. This week has been a good one let me say.

       Tuesday after emailing we got a little time to go try to contact a few potentials and find some more but then we had to drive out to St. Charles for interviews with President Clark. It was kinda funny because when I was there I was looking at the missionary plaques and I found Lawerence Boswell who was in my seminary classes back in high school. He moved here a couple of years ago and is now on a mission. Just a funny thing I saw. Interviews were great. We had a training by Sis. Clark and the assisants and then President took us out to eat at Olive Garden. It was good:)

       Wednesday was a great day!!! It is weird being back to 2 hours of comp study doing the 12 week program. It is interesting adjusting to that. An hour a day of extra studies takes out a lot more time then you would think. We had then to ride the bus up to the Members we used to live with to clean there place. We were supposed to do it Monday but we could not because we had to have the whole crazy emergency transfer that day. So we cleaned their basement and then had dinner with them. Then we had Scotti's Baptism!!! It went very well. I did the musical number with my Uke and sang "Come Thou Fount" which is an awesome song. After the Baptism we went back down to our area and we contacted a referal! who is now a new investigator!!!

       Thursday was an awesome day because we had many appointments. We had a great appointment with Alisha our new gator. She is way awesome. Then we had a lesson with Melanie and her family who were just recently baptized. It has been hard to get her to come to church so she can be baptized also. We had a good lesson with a former that day but we did not get to pick her back up as a new investigator. It is sad because she admits to Joseph Smith being a Prophet but will not come to church and be baptized. It is weird...

        Friday was a good day. We had weekly planning session that morning. It is hard planning with a missionary who does not know anything going on in the area really. He is still a way new missionary and has struggles with staying focussed on planning even though it is way long it is still very productive in the end. And it gets us organized. We had an appointment and we had to go try to find some new gators from potentials we have. We went to the Temple that night with a member in the ward. It was an amazing night at the Temple. I really enjoy going to the Temple and it is such a nice break from the world and all the worries of our investigators and stuff.

         Saturday was another awesome day with appointments. We went on exchanges. Elder Williams was with me on them. He is a great missionary. We had an appointment with the Three ladies from Thailand. They all look super young but are way older then they look. They look 10 years younger then they actually are. We had a guy from the Frotenac ward come with us to the appointment. It helped out so much. It was a great blessing to have him there to help communicate to them in Thai. Then we had an appointment with Emonie. Her uncle who is a member during the lesson really stressed to her that she needs to start making it to church. She did not the next day... Then after that we had a lesson with Alisha that went well. She is starting to open up way more now. Then we switched back that night.

           Sunday we had church of course. It was good.  After church we had to go back to our place and have studies. Then we bussed to our dinner appointment. It took like 2 hours. It was crazy. We then spent the rest of the day going and contacting all the potentials we have which we have been putting off to see. We set up appointments with a few of them to see them. Hopefully we can turn them into new gators also.

           Today we are probably going to go downtown. We are not sure yet though. haha This Saturday we have transfer calls! Oh yes!!! My thoughts are that my current companion will be transfered out and I will get a new one. We shall see though. I almost would not be surprised if I was transfered to somewhere else and get two 6 week shafts in a row. I think it would be fun to go to another area again. It keeps things spicey. Well I hope you all have a good week! Please write me with your address for where you are now!!!

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*

9-4-12

This week has been full of crazy things. Running over Snakes, Cats, ladder falling our of the back of a truck in front of us, and someone taking the valve cores out of our tires leaving all 4 tires flatt. We are now in a new appartment, I have a new companion, and things are still rolling. Here is how the week went.

      Monday was kinda boring. I just took a nap after we were done emailing. It felt very nice though. It was very much needed. That night after dinner at the Rices we had a new member lesson with Olivia. That was cool to do and start getting those done.

     Tuesday was great with teaching 3 lessons that day and gaining a new investigator that day. We picked up a lady named Danisheiya as a new gator right before district meeting which was pretty cool. We randomly met her on the street the week before and had an appointment. Then we had a good district meeting. After District meeting we had to drive downto our appointmnet with Linda. we have set a date for her to be Baptized on the 22nd of this month. The lesson with her went well. She has been struggling with smoking though. Please pray for her. Then we had an appointment with Anieya and Emonie. They are not progressing anymore. They are supposed to be baptized on the 22nd also. But they have not been coming to church though... It is a struggle with them...

     Wednesday we moved into our new appartment. There was much delay for when the office elders were to be there with our furniture so we did not get much done there and we had to take care of many different things. It stunk. But oh well! We did get some a little tracting and teaching recent converts and less actives.

      Thursday was an intersting day. My companion decided to break major rules and leave the appartment without me to go work out in the gym that we have in our new appartment complex while I was getting ready because it was close to time to start studies and everything. So ran out when I told him we could not go to the gym at that time. So I had to run after him. He is on a short leash already with the Mission President so he was in big trouble for it. The next day we had to drive down to the mission office so President Clark could talk to him. We exchanged with the DL for the day so that the DL could be with him. Even after the crazy morning we went and taught Linda again and a couple of other investigators. We had dinner with the Maddoxs which was good food.

          Friday I had to drive Elder Melton down to a doctor appointment because we were on exchanges. The appointment was down in my 2nd area, Fenton! It was weird driving through there. But way cool. Which I just received the wedding anoucement for Nicki who I Baptized there. Then we had a another lesson with Danishya that morning after that. We challenged her to Baptism. She said no because she is afraid of the water. Then we had a couple other appointments. Then we had to drive to the mission office so president could speak with my companion and I about what happened. I was in there only for a few mins then I was sent out for a long time. During that long time the assistants and I were looking at the mission history books. I found my cousin who served a mission in this same mission in them. It was fun seeing what areas he served in and who he served with and where he served. I was called back in and then I was asked if I was willing do deal with my companion untill the end of the transfer. I said Yes because I wanted him to see the Baptism that we have tomorrow and It was just a couple more weeks till the transfer was ending. So everything was all good after that.

           Saturday we had a couple of more good lessons. We another one with Emmonie and Anieya. Trying to get them to come to church. They committed to but they did not show up. When we bussed back to where our truck was left at which was near a bus stop. We walked up to it noticing that all four tires were flatt. Someone screwed out the valve cores. We  called a member to come help us our because I just though they were flat and were not missing anything. The member gets there and tells us that it is the valve core that is gone and they need new ones to be inflatted. Good thing he good friend works at the firestone across the street from where we were at. So we got the pieces for free. But our member who came to fill up the tires with air noticed, when he got there, that air compressor was broken. So we called up other people and after almost 3 hours after we discovered the car we were back on the road to our dinner appointment. 

           Sunday we had cordination meeting that morning before church. Scotti who is getting baptized tomorrow the 5th of september was at church along with Linda! After church we had an appointment with the Three ladies that were from Thailand. They all go to UMSL. They are all traditionally budhist, But they are not active in it. They are the first people I have ever taught on my mission who were not Christian which is way different because you have to start at the very begining with them and who God is. It is cool and interesting. They are awesome though. Our member we brought did great with them. But we picked them up all as new investigators! That night we had dinner with the Carrs another awesome family from California. I feel bad they have to be out here and not there. haha. Then we went to contact a couple of referals we recieved with Bro. Carr. It was good. One of them we will start teaching in a couple of days.

          Monday, Yesterday the assistants came to pick up my companion to take him to troy because since the talk with President on Friday that we had he had broken a few more rules that were things President said he had to be exact by our else he would have to be emergency Transfered. So he was ET'd to Troy Missouri to be with Elder Hoggan and Elder Harris came here to Hazelwood 2. He is from Lehi Utah. This is only his second transfer out so I am finishing up his training. Back to the 12 week program we go and having to do two hours of comp study because that is what the program is. There was stuff going on with him and his first trainer also so it was an interesting switch. He is a way cool though. It will be good. I am very happy about the switch actually. On the way to Troy to drop off my old companion and get my new one we ran over a cat on the freeway and it was crazy. I felt so bad about it because I love Cats. On the way back to Hazelwood we saw a bunch of crap on the road. Right when I said to everyone else in the Car, "Why is there so much stuff in the road?" a car right in front of us in the next lane over had a big ladder just fall out of the back and thank goodness it did not fly into our lane but it was great timing though to say that. haha Then a few mins later we were driving and we saw a rope looking thing hanging off the back axel of a car right in front of us. It was a snake! we were on the freeway and that thing was holding on for dear life. Then it lost its grip fell off and we ran over that too...       

            Today we had to email because all libraries were closed yesterday... Our zone has interviews with President today so I am looking forward to that. I always love interviews with President. We just received a referal this morning from Church hq's so after this emailing session we will be contacting that before interviews!!! I love you all. You are so awesome! And I know many of you are at school now and I do not have your addresses! SO PLEASE WRITE ME SO I CAN HAVE THEM!!! :) I hope you have a great week full of great things happening!

Love,

Elder Derek Turner

*Serving in Zion*